Dispensing container



Jan. 12, 1937. G. LATEUR 2,067,196

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed March 23, 1935 FIE.2 15.51

INVENTOR RNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1937 DISPENSING CONTAMER Gaston Lateur, San Francisco, Calif.

Application March 23, 1935, Serial No. 12,637

. 3 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing containers of the collapsible tube type commonly used for plastic materials such as dental or shaving cream.

It is an object of the invention to provide a 5 container of the character described which will automatically seal itself after the required amount of the contents thereof has been removed by the user.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a container which will dispense the contents thereof in the form of a ribbon, to provide animprove'd construction for containers, of the type referred to, which may be produced as economically as the generally known types of containers of this character in present use; and to provide a leak-proof container of the class described, for

\liquids.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure '1 is a vertical sectional view of an assembled container embodying the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the tube before the closure flap is applied thereto.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device of Figure 2, the view being taken looking in the direction of the arrow 3 of the latter figure.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the closure 30 flap.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the closure flap spring,

Figure 7 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a modified form of spout construction.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the device of Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of closure flap spring.

Figure 10 is a perspective form of closure flap;

Figure 11 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a still modified form of spout construction.

' Figure 12 is a perspective view of the gasket used in a modified form of the invention.

Figure 13 is a detail perspective view illustrating the closure flap of Figure 11.

In detail, the dispensing container of this invention comprises the usual flexible metal tube 9 provided with a conically shaped upper end l0 on which is formed a substantially rectangular tubular spout H. The upper end of this spout is shaped to lie at an angle with the longitudinal axis thereof and is provided with a pair of spaced parallel side flanges l2 of slightly less thickness than the walls of the spout so as to provide a pair of opposed ledges l3. The spout at one end, thereview of a modified of, as is shown in Figure 2, is provided with a vertically disposed tabulation M which is separated along its side edges, from the flanges l2 by slots l5.

A closure flap l6, preferably made of light vis spring steel, is provided, being of suflicient length so that it completely covers the mouth of the spout II, and is provided at one end thereof with an arcuately bent portion H. An auxiliary member I8, also made of spring steel, and having cor- 10 rugations I9 formed thereon, is positioned to overlie the flap IS in such a way that the end corrugation thereof nests on the arcuately bent portion ll ofthe closure flap. With the two flexible members in the proper relationship with 15 one another as shown in Figure 1, the tabulation I4 is bent inwardly and serves to lock the members in position on the spout.

The resiliency of both the closure flap and its overlying spring member is regulated so that 20 when the user squeezes the tube 9 the plastic contents thereof will press against the inner surface of the flap, causing the flap to be flexed outwardly, thereby providing a rectangular aperture between the free end thereof and the ad- 25 jacent side wall of the spout, through which the contents of the tube will be discharged in the form of a ribbon. It is obvious that the thickness of the ribbon may be regulated as desired, the greater the pressure applied in squeezing the tube, 30 the greater will be the thickness of the ribbon and vice-versa.

In Figures 7 and 8, is shown a modified form of attaching the closure flap and spring. Spaced slightly from the lower edge of the throat open- 35 ing of the spout is provided a pair of opposed lugs 20 which project into the opening from opposite walls of the spout. Both the closure flap 2| and the spring 22 have, formed at one end thereof, nesting V-shaped portions which are adapted to 40 project downwardly into the space between the lugs and the adjacent end wallof the spout. The. flanges 23 of the spout are each provided with normally vertically extending ears 24, as shown by the dotted lines of Figure 7, which, when the 45 closure flap and the spring are positioned on the spout, in their correct positions, are bent to overlie these members, as shown in Figure 8, with the result that the members are securely locked in position.

Figure 9 illustrates a closure flap spring 25 which is constructed of spring wire bent into rectangular formation. As shown in. Figure 11, this spring may be superposed over the closure fl p 26, and the ears 24 bent over, as described above, to hold the spring in position. It will be noted, in the latter figure, that the lower end of the closure flap is provided with a bent portion 2'! which engages the transverse bends of the spring so as to prevent longitudinal displacement of the flap with respect to the spout aperture.

Figure 10 illustrates a modified form of closure flap 28. This flap is preferably made of rubber, or other material of a like nature, and is pro-'- vided with a flat bottom surface 29 and a top surface 30 which may be provided with corrugations to correspond with those of the spring I8. This rubber flap is used, when the contents of the container are liquid, in place of the closure flap l6 shown in Figure 1, since due to the softness of the rubber, it will completely seal the dispensing aperture which the metallic flap I 6 would not do if there happened to be any irregularities on the surface of the ledges I3 or in the event that solid matter lodged between the ledges and the flap and prevented closing of the latter.

It will be noted, in connection with the modification shown in Figure 11, that the end of the spout is curved. This is done partly to insure that the flap 26 is flexed so as to urge it into intimate contact with the rim of the aperture, and to provide for the placement of the users thumb in a position overlying the closure flap so that he may manually regulate the pressure against the flap and thereby control the thickness-of the discharged stream of material from the tube.

Figure 12 illustrates a rectangular rubber gasket 3| provided with a central rectangular aperture 32. This gasket is adapted. to be assembled, with the closure elements shown in Figures 1, 7, and 11, in a position between the ledges I31 and the adjacent surface of the closure flap l6, and is intended to serve as a seal for the interstice between the longitudinal edges of the closure flap and the inner surfaces of the flanges [2. It will readily be seen that the pressure of the material passing through the gasket aperture 32 will be applied transversely against the longitudinal portions of the gasket with the result that these portions will be pressed against the surfaces of the flanges and thereby prevent any of the material from flowing past the edges of the closure flap.. This construction is particularly valuable when the tube contains liquid material.

From the description above it will be seen that a dispensing container is provided having an improved closure by means of which the contents thereof are at all times sealed against the outside atmosphere thereby preventing leakage, drying out of the contents or the entry into the container of bacteria or other contaminating matter. It will also be seen that provision for regulating the thickness of the ribbon of material discharged from the spout, by increasing or decreasing the pressure applied to the tube, is a desirable feature.

While the invention has been described as being a unitary part of the tube structure it will be obvious that the spout portion thereof incorporating the improvements of the invention may be made as a separate part, to be attached to the conventional tube by means of the screw threads usually provided thereon.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a flexible tube adapted to contain flowable material, of a spout for said tube having an aperture therein through which the material may be discharged by collapsible pressure applied to the tube, said spout having supporting means bordering said aperture, a flexible closure member overlying said aperture and resting upon said supporting means, a flexible spring member overlying and resting upon said closure member, both said spring member and said closure member having offset nested portions formed at one end thereof, and integral means carried by the spout overlying and engaging the nested ends of the flexible members.

2. The combination with a flexible tube adapted to contain flowable material, of a spout for said tube having an aperture therein through which the material may be discharged by collapsible pressure applied to the tube, said spout having supporting means bordering said aperture, a flexible closure member overlying said aperture and resting upon said supporting means, a flexible spring member overlying said closure member and provided with transverse corrugations to increase the longitudinal resiliency thereof, and means carried by said spout which overlie and engage the flexible member and, the spring member at one end thereof, in such manner as to leave the other end free to yield to the pressure of outgoing material.

3. The combination with a flexible tube having a spout provided with a passage extending axially therethrough and terminating in an aperture, a pair of parallel flanges rising from the sides of said spout at the edges of said aperture and provided with supporting shoulders, at flexible closure member disposed between said flanges 

